Fast-Food Salads

Why we think they're healthy: It’s difficult to eat healthy in our fast-paced lives, and sometimes a salad at a fast-food joint can be a convenient, quick solution that fits into your routine. Compared to the burgers and fries on the menu, choosing a salad is the logical choice for the health conscious.Why they're not: Put the word “salad” on anything, and it automatically becomes healthy. But some of the most common fast-food salads actually have more calories, salt and hydrogenated vegetable oils than a Big Mac. A Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad that you would find at McDonald's, KFC, Chick-fil-A or Ruby Tuesdays can clock in at 900-1,000 calories. A Big Mac, in contrast, is 550 calories.

There are bigger offenders out there, but on average, fast-food salads provide 515 calories, 35 grams of fat and 1,545 milligrams of sodium. That’s a day’s worth of salt. The top culprits in your salad-gone-wrong are almost always the dressing and the pieces of crispy battered chicken. Things like bacons bits, croutons, crispy fried noodles, taco chips and cheap cheese can also add to its corruption.

A salad meal has to be healthier than other fast-food meals, otherwise you’re missing the point. Skip all the crunchy toppings and add walnuts or avocado instead. Get your chicken (or steak or fish) grilled or roasted rather than crispy, breaded or fried, and choose a light dressing of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

At full-service restaurants, ask for the dressing on the side. Most fast-food chains offer more than one salad option on their menus, so carefully pick the healthiest one.